Door latch



June 28, 1932. D, GOULD g DOORLATCH Filed March 15, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jume', 1532. v D. GOULD g DOOR LATCH Filed March l5, 1950 2 SheetS-Shee 2 31a/vento@ Parenteel. am@ 2e, ieee 1,865,391

STATES PATENT FFCE DAVID GOULD, OF NEW BRTAIN, CNNECTCUT, .ASSGNOR TO THE STANLEY "WORKS, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTCT, A COBEORATON OF CNNECTICUT DOOR LATCH Application filed March 15, 1930, Serial No. 436,057.

The present invention relates to door door of any suitable construction and which latches, and has for an object to provide a is mounted in a wall or frame 16, and as latch which is very simple in construction shown in Figure 1, may swing outwardly or and arrangement; which may be easily apforwardly from the frame 16. The door and 5 plied to doors of various thicknesses, and frame may, of course, be of any construction 55 which may be conveniently operated, in like and the latch of this invention admits of manner, from either side of the door. various adj ustinents and mountings to ac- The invention embodies a novel split concommodate doors 15 which may swing and struction of the latch spindle and cylinder be hinged otherwise than is shown in Figtherefor adapted to extend more or less ure 1. 60

through the door and hold the spindle as- The device comprises a latch bar 17 prosembled and transmit the turning movement vided at its inner end with a round reduced from one side to the other of the door, and head 18 which may form the inner end of the to provide a novel thumb piece and spindle latch bar 17 and be formed therewith. Ad-

construction for interconnecting the same jacent the head 18 is a spindle part 19 fixed 63 and admitting various adjustments to turn to turn with the bar and which in cross secthe spindle in the desired direction. tion is semi-circular with a fiat side 20 inner- @ther objects will be in part obvious and most and lying in the plane of the aXis of in part pointed out more in detail hereinthe spindle. Asecond spindle part 21 of like 20 after. semi-circular construction has a 'Hat side 22 f7() ln the accompanying drawings, wherein adapted to engage in face engagement with is shown, more or less diagrannnatically, one the flat side or face 2O so that the parts 19 and of the many embodiments which the present 21 when brought together provide a coniinvention may take: plete round spindle, and the parts 19 and 21 25 Figure 1 is a fragmentary outer side elemay be adjusted one upon the other in an 75 vation of a door and frame therefor showaxial direction to accommodate the spindle ing al latch constructed according to the presto doors 15 of different thicknesses and so ent invention applied thereto. that the spindle may project from the op- Figure 2 is a vertical section taken through posite sides of the door.

the same substantially on the line 2-2 of A sleeve or tube 23 receives the spindle 'so Figure 1. parts 19 and 21 therein and holds the parts Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken together in spindle form and provides abearthrough the structure of Figure 1 substaning in which the spindle may turn for swingtially on the line 3-8 thereof. ing the latch bar 17. The spindle part 21 is Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view provided upon its outer end with a head 24C S5 of the latch device, with the door and frame which corresponds in size to the head 18 of shown in dot-ted lines. the latch bar 17 and which is so fixed upon Figure 5 is a perspective view of some the spindle part 21 as to extend in the same of the parts in separated and relative posidirection as that of the head 18. The heads tions. 18 and 24 are provided at their inner ends 9o Figure 6 is a similar view with the parts with narrow neck portions 25 which impart adjusted in reverse position for application a. general circular contour to the heads 18 to the opposite edge of a door as compared and 24.

with the showing in Figure 5. Handles 26 and 27 are provided, one for Figure 7 is a detail perspective view of each side of the door 15, and these handles 95 the thumb piece employed. are substantially of the same construction. Figure 8 is a similar view of the latch rilhe handle 2G may be made from sheet metal guard, and with an outwardly bowed intermediate por- Figure 9 is a like view of a keeper. tion of suitable configuration for grasping` in Referring to the drawings, 15 designates a the hand to push and pull the door 15 into 100 open and closed positions. The lower end of the handle 26 is provided with an attaching flange 28 which may be turned inwardly at its margin so as to set firmly against the side of the door 15 and which is suitably aper turcd for receiving screws 29 or the like fastening device for holding the lower end ot' the handle to the door.

The upper end of the handle 26 is provided with a 'llat enlargement with an inturncd marginal flange providing a casing 30 which has a depth suliicient to receive the adjacent circular head 18, or 24, and which is provided at one side and near its upper end with aV marginal slot 31 through which the latch bar 17 may project. The casing part 30 o1' the handle 26 is provided in its wall and intermediate its lateral edges with a. vertically extending slot 32, the lower endv or base of which opens into a notch 33 formed through the wall of the casing 30. A thumb piece 34, shown in detail in Figure 7, is mounted upon each handle and has an outwardly extending finger engaging lip preferably transversely curved to lit the thumb and hold it from slipping from the thumb piece. The outwardly extending lip of the thumb piece projects outwardly through the slot 32 and is located closely adjacent the upper bowed part of the handle 26. The inner end of the thumb piece 34 extends upwardly within the casing 30 and is provided in one side with a socket opening 35 adapted to receive the adjacent head 18, or 24, and is of circular contour to permit of the free turning of the head. in the socket 35 when the thumb piece is slid vertically in the casing 30.

The inner or socket portion of the thumb piece may move up and down within the limits of the slot 32 for swinging the adjacent head 18 or 24 with the spindle and the latch bar 17. The weight of the latch bar 17 normally urges the spindle in a direction to lower the latch and thus maintain the thumb pieces 34 in normally raised position. The socket opening 35 of each thumb piece opens through the edge of the latter but is contracted at such edge to a degree suliicient to hold the head in the socket and the neck 25 of the head is reduced to a still greater extent to permit of the turning of the head in the socket and the consequent swinging of the head. There is suflicient loose play in the parts to prevent binding between the vertically moving thumb piece 34 and the pivoted or swinging head 18. It will thus be seen that the upper ends of the handles constitute guide members for the thumb pieces.l

For economy and simplicity in manufacture and assemblage of the parts, the socket portion of the thumb piece is rconstructed of a width which is slightly less than the combined lengths of the slot 32 and the notch 33 in the wall of the casing 30 so that the thumb piece may be turned at right angles to its linal position and inserted at its socket portion through the outer wall of the casing 30 and be then swung into position with the socket portion against the inner side of the casing wall. The thumb piece 34 is also provided in opposite sides and at the inner end of its outstanding lip with notches or recesses 36 for reducing the width of the inner end of the lip to an extent sullicient to permit of the upward sliding movement of the thumb piece 34 out of the notch 33 and of the axially turning of the thumb piece 34 into upright posit-ion for use. The recesses 36 are adapted to receive the opposite edge portions of the slot 32 therein for holding the thumb piece and guiding it in its vertical movements.

The opposite handle 27 is of identical construction with the handle 26 with the exception that the marginal slot in the casing 30, indicated at 37, is disposed in a side opposite to that in which the slot 31 is formed. It will also be noted that a reversely bent or constructed thumb piece 34 is employed and wherein the socket opening 35 extends through the opposite edge of the thumb piece when used with the lever 27. lVhile these slots and sockets are disposed in opposite directions, the structural features of the parts are identical. The upper end ot the handle may be secured to the door by screws 38 or the like which pass through openings 39 formed through the outer wall of the casing 30 at opposite sides of the slot 32.

In order to apply or mount the latch upon a door 15 it is only necessary to form a circular bore or opening through the door to receive the tube or sleeve 23. When the sleeve is in place it is only necessary to insert the spindle part 19 into the one end of the sleeve 23 with the latch bar 17 extending in the right direction, and to insert the other spindle part 21 into the opposite end of the sleeve 23 and with the flat laces 2O and 22 of the spindle parts in engagement with each other. The tube or sleeve 23 holds the latch parts together so as to transmit turning pressure between the parts and thus insure that the spindle turns as a unit. The handles 26 and 27 with their thumb pieces 34 are applied to the opposite sides of the door with their Inarginal slots 31 and 37 facing toward the tree edge of the door. In applying the handles, the housings 30 are so disposed over the heads 18 and 24 as to register the heads with the sockets 35 of the thumb pieces and thus the latch 17 projects outwardly through the slot 31. When the latch is to be applied to a door which opens from the left side as compared Vlio with the present illustrations, it is only necesj sary to reverse the positions of the handles 26 and 27 u pon the opposite sides of the door. The weight of the latch bar 17 is sullicient to normally hold the heads 18 and 24 in raised position and to thus maintain both of the thumb pieces elevated so that the depression of either one of the thumb pieces turns the spindle and swings the latch bar 17 into raised position. The door l5 may be provided at its tree edge with a guard plate el() which is mortised or countersunk in the iront outer edge portion of tne door and is suitably slotted to receive and coniine the outer end of the latch l?. rlhe door trame or wall 16 is provided with a keeper plate 4l which is mortised or countersunk in the edge of the frame and in position to receive the lower edge portion of the latch bar 17 when lowered to secure the door from swinging open.

lt is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details ot construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

l claim as my invention:

l. A door latch comprising a spindle adapted to extend through a door, a latch bar carried by said spindle, a pair ot guide members attached to opposite sides ot the door, a thumb piece mounted on each guide member for vertical movement thereon, and means for connecting` the thumb pieces to the opposite ends ot the spindle tor turning the same upon movement of either thumb piece.

2. A door latch comprising a spindle adapted to be rotatably mounted in and to extend through a door and having a radially extending head on each end, a latch bar mounted on one end of said spindle, guide members tor attachment to the opposite sides oit the door, and a thumb piece slidably mounted on each guide member and having asocket therein for rotatably receiving the adjacent spindle head.

3. A door latch comprising a spindle adapted to be rotatably mounted in and to extend through a door and having a circular head on each end, a latch bar mounted on one end or" said spindle, a pair of handles on opposite sides ot the door and having casing portions for enclosing the adjacent spindle heads, and a thumb piece carried by each guide member and projecting outwardly therefrom, each thumb piece having vertical sliding movement in the guide member and having a socket opening to receive the adjacent spindle head for turning the spindle upon depression of either thumb piece.

il. A door latch comprising a latch bar, an extensible spindle to one end of whicl said latch bar is secured to turn therewith, and movable thumb pieces mounted on opposite sides of a door independently of the spindle and connected to the opposite ends of the spindle for turning the same and operating the latch from either side ot the door.

5. A door latch comprising an extensible spindle, a latch bar carried by said spindle, a pair of guide members for attachment to opposite sides ot the door, a thumb piece mounted on each guide member for substantially vertical movement thereon, and means tor connecting the thumb pieces to the opposite ends ot the spindle for turning the same upon the movement of either thumb piece.

6. A door latch comprising a pair of spindie sections each having a radially extending head on its outer end and adapted for insertion in overlapping engagement through a bore in the door, a latch bar carried by one ot said spindle sections, a pair ot handles 'for attachment to opposite sides ot the door, and a movable thumb piece carried by each handle, said thumb pieces having socket openings therein for rotatably receiving said heads of the spindle to turn the latter upon movement of the thumb pieces.

7. A door latch comprising a sleeve adapted to be mounted in an opening in a door, a two-part lengthwise split spindle adapted :tor insertion from opposite ends through the sleeve and having a circular head on the outer end of each part, a latch bar on the outer end et one ot said parts, a pair of handles tor attachment to the opposite sides of the door, and a thumb piece carried by each handle and projecting outwardly therefrom, each thumb piece having` vertical sliding movement in the handle and having a socket opening to receive the adjacent spindle head for turning the spindle upon depression of either thumb piece.

8. A door latch comprising a pair of overlapping and interitting spindle sections adapted 'for introduction through an opening in a door from the opposite sides of the door and each section having an otlset head at its outer end, a latch bar carried upon the outer end of one section, a pair of handles for attachment to opposite sides of the door and having fiat casing portions for enclosing said heads, and a pair oi'l thumb pieces slidably mounted one in each handle casing and provided with sockets therein for rotatably receiving said heads, said latch bar adapted to normally maintain the thumb pieces in raised position by the weight of the bar and said thumb pieces having outwardly projecting lips Ytor engagement with the thumb to slide the thumb pieces downwardly and rock the spindle and raise the latch bar.

9. A door latch comprising a spindle for engagement through a door and having offset heads on its opposite ends, a latch bar -fiounted on one end of the spindle, a pair of handles for attachment to the opposite sides of a door and each having a casing for enclosing the adjacent head or" the spindle, and av pair of thumb pieces carried by the casings, each thumb piece having a vertical portion with a socket opening therein to receive the adjacent head and having an out-turned lip and a reduced neck portion at the inner end of the lip, each casing having a vertical slot therein and a notch at the lower end of the slot, the out-turned lip portion and the Vertical portion of the thumb piece being of greater Width than the slot and the vertical portion oi the thumb piece being of less Width than the combined lengths of the slot and the notch whereby to admit of the introduction and removal of the vertical portion of the thumb piece into and from the casing.

DAVID GOULD. 

